Gareth Barry Used His 600th Appearance Bonus Fee To Help An Old Friend

Gareth Barry has provided Balls.ie a feel-good story to warm the hearts on a cold and miserable day when the world seems terrible.

The Everton midfielder has had a long career. He recently made (and scored on) his 600th appearance in the Premier League in September. He's only the third player reach that milestone, and was rewarded with a bonus of £20,000

Fans of Aston Villa in the mid 2000's will recall that Barry had a brilliant midfield partnership with Stiliyan Petrov.

The Bulgarian has recovered from leukemia to continue playing football. After his diagnosis, he set up the Stiliyan Petrov Foundation. And now they've received a considerable donation from Stan's ex-team mate.